The interaction between a wedge disclination dipole and an elastic annular inclusion was investigated. Using the Muskhelishvili complex variable method, the explicit series solutions of the complex potentials in the matrix and the inclusion region were derived. The image force acting on the disclination dipole centre was

also calculated. The influence of the location of the disclination dipole and the thickness of the annular inclusion, as well as of the elastic dissimilarity of the materials, upon the equilibrium position of the disclination dipole was considered in detail. The results showed that a stable equilibrium point of the disclination dipole near to the inclusion existed for certain combinations of the material constants. The force on the disclination dipole was strongly affected by the position of the disclination dipole and the thickness of the annular inclusion. The repulsive force increased (or the attractive force decreased) with an increase in the thickness of the annular inclusion. An appropriate critical value of the thickness of the annular inclusion might possibly change the direction of the force acting on the disclination dipole. The present solutions included previous results as special cases. The Solution of a Wedge Disclination Dipole Interacting with an Annular Inclusion and the Force Acting on the Disclination Dipole. H.P.Song, Q.H.Fang, Y.W.Liu: Chinese Physics B, 2008, 17, 4592-8